What specific acoustic function were the Rumford tiles engineered for at St. Thomas Church?

Answer

Absorbing echo effectively via porous surfaces

The construction of St. Thomas Church in New York City, completed in 1913, represented a fusion of aesthetics (Neo-Gothic grandeur) and acoustic requirements (modern clarity). To achieve this divorce between visual style and sonic performance, Sabine collaborated with a tile manufacturer to create Rumford tiles. These were ceramic tiles specifically designed with porous surfaces. The porosity allowed these materials to function as highly effective absorbers of echo, thereby controlling the reverberation within the large stone structure to create a clear acoustic environment suitable for speech, rather than letting the sound behave as it would in a traditional, highly reflective stone cathedral.

What specific acoustic function were the Rumford tiles engineered for at St. Thomas Church?

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